Dear Colleagues,

In checking my notes from our meeting, I have the following "big issues" that we can consider for our workshop at the Sloan Conference.

1. Graduation Rates (important issue - blended learning can have a role to play in addressing this)
2. Time to Degree (important issue related to No. 1 - blended learning can have a role to play in addressing this)
3. Cost to Degree/Resources - (important issue but many colleges/universities do not have the data/administrative wherewithal to document cost benefits. Related to this is facilities recovery)
4. Remediation - (issue for community colleges and open-admissions four-year colleges - blended learning models that combine programmed instruction with ALN might (are?) evolving to address this issue)
5. Assessment - (important issue - blended and all online course activities provide documentation of course activities - good foundation for assessment. Add e-portfolios and we have an excellent foundation.)

Tony



Since Tony signed off on these, I'll add a few separately. I think these were mentioned as well. Others can weigh in on whether they're all (that) big.

1) The conservation of classroom space (to accommodate growing enrollments without major building projects/capital outlays)
2) Improved learning outcomes (as noted in Means, et al., Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning )
3) Local outreach (extending the "reach" of an institution to the same geographic area, but within a wider radius) -- like #1, a means of increasing enrollments
4) Lifelong learning (alumni outreach, adult learning programs, retraining, professional certification programs, onsite instruction in, say, health information management or corporate communication)

--George

OK Chuck's maybe big issues.

1. Should we be using mode as a treatment effect as in the recent Meta Analysis? If we do we should rename all our journals to "The Journal of Type 1 Errors"
2. What are the opportunity costs involved in Blended Learning?
3. Is Blending just for transmission of information as in should we give something back as in making our communities a better place to live?
3. Can our mantra be "Just Do the Right Thing?"

_

Adding to the above:

1. Access - to educational opportunities; to highly enrolled classes, to faculty, to learning communities
2. Technology Skill development - goes along with lifelong learning outcomes for students, extends to faculty and teaching staff
3. Retention - flexibility provides opportunities to balance life, work, school

Mary


BELOW IS THE SYNTHESIZED VERSION THAT TONY AND MARY DEVELOPED. ALSO BELOW IS A SUGGESTED ITINERARY FOR THE PRE-CON WORKSHOP.

Big Issues for Higher Education
I. Access (M1)
II. Graduation Rates, Retention/Attrition, Time to Degree (T1, T2, M3)
III. Cost to Degree/Conservation of Classroom/Resources Space (T3, G1, C2)
IV. Improving Learning for Diverse Student Populations - Remediation, General Student Populations, Lifelong Learners, Technological Skill Development (T4, G2, G4, M2)
V. Community Outreach (G3, C3)
VI. Assessment & Evaluation (T5)

Possible Structure for Half-Day Workshop
I. Big Issues Overview
II. Group Activity – How does blended learning address these issues
III. Grid – Blended Learning and Big Issues
IV. Models of Blended Learning (This may need an activity)
V. Next Steps – (e.g., Edited Book)